Most Covid deaths in Odisha in 41-60 age-group: Health department

BHUBANESWAR: The maximum Covid deaths in Odisha were in the age-group of 41 to 60 years, an analysis by the state health department has revealed. Sixteen more died of viral infection, pushing the toll to 875 on Friday. Altogether 3,600 more people tested positive for the virus, raising the virus caseload to 2,26,334.
The analysis of data till September 30, when the death toll was 842, shows the highest (397) deaths were in the age-group of 41 to 60 years (47%) followed by 351 in the above 60-years category (41%). In infections, 31% were in the age-group of 41-60 years while only 9.7% people who tested positive were above 60 years. Additional chief secretary (health) Pradipta Kumar Mohapatra said two major reasons behind the high fatalities in the 41- years plus age-group were co-morbidities and delayed response by them to tests and hospitalization.

Though the maximum infections (53%) were in the age bracket of 15 to 40 years, there were 92 deaths in this age- group, which is 11% of the total deaths. The Covid deaths included two children below 14 years (0.23%), while the percentage of infected children was 5.2%. More men than women died of Covid. As many as 676 males (80% of total deaths) died compared to 166 females (20%). As far as the virus caseload is concerned, 68% were males and 32% females.
Jayant Panda, head of the PG department of internal medicine at SCB Medical College and Hospital, said, “People in the 41 to 60 age-group did not seem to have thought that they were vulnerable compared to those above 60. A good number of people above 40, who died, delayed tests, ignored symptoms hoping they would be fine. However, in some cases, it was too late by the time they got to the hospitals.”
He added that most deceased had uncontrolled comorbidities, mainly diabetes, kidney complications, asthma, heart diseases, cancer and obesity. The high deaths in the above 60-years age group may be attributed to age, which in itself, is a risk factor apart from comorbidities.
The new deaths include the highest (six) from Khurda, including four from Bhubaneswar. While three died in Nayagarh, two each succumbed to the infections in Cuttack and Balasore.
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